Glass doorknob



NOV. 30, 1937. B, REDMAN v 2,100,818

GLASS DOORKNOB I Filed Feb. 16, 1937 Patented Nov. 30, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GLASS DOORKNOB tion of New Jersey Application February 16, 1937, Serial No. 125,971

3 Claims.

My invention relates to glass door knobs which are cast upon and about retaining prongs or other holding means integral with a. metal socket.

The purpose of the invention is to form the knob so as to permit the use of clear glass without the holding means showing through the glass.

A further purpose is to provide diffraction surfaces upon a door knob, intended to have a socket attachment cast within the knob and prevent view of the attaching means through the glass even though the glass be fully clear.

A further purpose is to provide a substantial covering of circumferentially arranged ribs about the outer surface of the knob.

Further purposes will appear in the specification and in the claims.

In the manufacture of glass door knobs there has been difi'iculty in attachment of the knob to the handle sockets.

Applicant discovered and is claiming in United States Patent No. 2,073,254 granted March 9, 1937, an invention involving the casting of glass knobs upon prongs, tangs or flares connected with a metal socket. By previous methods these knobs were cast under pressure with the result that the glass in its contraction was then unduly subject to stresses due to tootight hugging of the prongs or tangs. Applicant has determined that omission of the pressure reduces the stresses of the glass when cold to such an extent as greatly to reduce breakage of the knobs molded. However, in the glass knobs so molded clear glass was not available for the reason that the prongs or other holding means showed through quite objectionably, making it necessary to use an opaque or m rely translucent glass to obscure the View of the prongs. The present invention has to do with means by which clear glass becomes available for knobs containing prongs or other holding means.

In the drawing Figure 1 shows a. top plan view of the preferred form of the invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the structure of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a section upon line 3-3 of Figure 2.

I have discovered that casting of clear glass upon internal holding means connecting with the socket can be used successfully provided the surface of the knob be broken up into surfaces of 'relatively high diffractive value rather than smooth and continuous or but slightly curved surfaces which allow the interior structure to be seen through them, and have illustrated the most desirable form of this known to me.

In Figures 1, 2 and 3 the knob I6 is shown as provided with a surface broken up into elements of high diffractive value, here circumferential rings or ribs ll of relatively high curvature, breaking up the view of the interior, whereby prongs is connected with socket I9 do not show through in the knob or show so slightly as not to attract attention.

The diffusion rings or ribs shown so thoroughly disperse the light that in practice this construction has been fully effective to permit the use of prongs, tangs or other terminals, integral with the sockets and extending into the glass from the socket i9 without need of decoration and without these tangs or other terminals attracting attention through the glass.

In addition to the obscuring effect of the diffraction of light through use of these surfaces the knob presents a very pleasing crystal glass appearance and can be given great strength owing to the firm physical engagement of the tangs or other terminals within the knobs.

Though other directions of ribs or other diffraction surfaces than circumferential are desirable provided the curvature be great enough for the purpose, the circumferential form of rib or extension of diffracting surface would appear to be best of all for the reason that it is efi'ective. with minimal extent of curvature of the diffracting surface and for the further reason that it cooperates to great advantage with a division of the casting mold along a plane through the circumference at the largest diameter of the knob, a form of partition of the mold which is much in use.

In view of my invention and disclosure variations and modifications to meet individual whim or particular need will doubtless become evident to others skilled in the art, to obtain part or all of the benefits of my invention without copying the structure shown, and I, therefore, claim all such in so far as they fall within the reasonable spirit and scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A door knob socket having projecting holding means adapted to fit within the body of the knob which means holds the knob in place, in combination with a clear glass knob on the socket at the end thereof fitting and surrounding the projections and its surface beyond the portion thereof presented to the socket formed throughout the surface in a succession of ring ridges substantially to prevent View through the knob of the said projections.

3. A door knob socket having spreadi jections adapted to fit within the body of the knob and which hold the knob in place, in com bination, with a glass knob shrunk upon the projections and having throughout its surface between the socket and the axial end of the knob a succession of outwardly convex ring surfaces acting as diffraction surfaces to prevent view of the projections through the knob.

ALLEN BRYCE REDMAN. 

